Train control



R. L. YOUSE.

TRAIN CONTROL.

APPLlcmoN FILED Aue.28, 191s.

1,386,482. Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

FE. E g t Robej'r' l Youse R. L. YOUSE.

TRAIN CONTROL.

APPLxcATsoN FILED Aus.28, 191s.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Rabe-ffl.. )fause Wit/nm W1@ R. L. YOUSE. TRAIN CONTROL. APPLlcAnoN Flu-:D Aus.2a. 191s.

YUNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT 1..'YOUSE, or 'rnInADELrHIm rENNsr'LvANIA, AssIGNon or ONE-HAM;` To AARON IIENDRICK, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAIN CONTROL.

Spec'caton of Letters Patent.

Patented A110: 2, 192.1.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. YoUsE, a citizen' ofthe UnitedStates, residing at 2906 N. Leithgow St., Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Train Controls, of which the following is a specification. f

This invention relates totrain-controlling devices, and has more particularreference to what are usually termed automatic signaling and braking devices.

The main object of my invention'iis to provide a train control which is positivein operation, efficient in action, and one that automatically retards and stops the locomotive or train, should the said locomotive be driven beyond the signal or into a vdanger zone.

i 'further object of'my inventiony is to provide a train control which is automatically operated by a tripping device carried on the locomotive, and which cooperates with the engine throttle for cutting off the lsteam supply, and at the same time automatically applying the brake, should the engineer or trainman pass a danger signal.

"lVith these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter be more apparent, the invention comprehends the provision of an electric switch operating in conjunction with the semaphore, said switch being in circuit with a tripping device at the side of the track, and rsaid tripping device being adapted to automatically close the throttle and shut off the steam, while at the same time means are brought into operation for applying the braking mechanism. p

ln the further disclosure of the invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of thisspeciiication, in which similar characters Aof reference denote corresponding'parts in all the views, and in whichl Figure 1 is a fragmentary end elevation of a portion of a railroad track and signaling device, including my'improvements.

Fig. 2 is a similar fragmentary end elevation, but showing the controlling device in the danger position.`

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation of the tripping device which shuts off the throttle.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of that part of the mechanism which auto- Vmatically closes the Athrottle and applies the brake, should the locomotive enter a danger zone.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional-elevation on the line in Fig. 4f.

Fig. 6 is'afdetail sectional elevation of the switch operating in conjunction with the semaphore.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 8 is an enlargedv detail plan of the means for holding or retaining the automatic ycontrolling device in the open or operative position', and

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the same.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic sketch showing the wiring circuits Vfrom thebattery to the solenoidV and switch.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1() indicates a rail and adjacent which is provided a signal post 1'1, on which are'mounted the customary home and distance semaphores or signal arms 12 and 13 respectively, said arms being operated in any of the -well-known ways. To one side of the rail 10 at either or both sides of the track, l ht or otherwise suitably attach a boxdilze casing 14 in which is transversely mounted a shaft 15, under the actionrof a recoil spring 16, said shaft having attached at its inner end-that is to say, on the inner side of the rail-an arm 17 which normally occupies a horizontal position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. At the other or outer end of the shaft 15 is keyed or otherwise secured, a toothed pinion 18 in gear with a rael 19 which is formed integral with a solenoid plunger or piston 20, which is adapted when the solenoid 21 is energized, to be retracted and thereby impart to the shaft 15 a quarter turn, which will swing the arm 17 from a horiaontalto a vertical position, as indicated by the dot-and-dash line 17a in Fig-3, or the full-line position as shown in F 2. Leads 22 connect the solenoid 21 with a storage Vbattery (not shown) and which may be located at a distance from the track, or placed in any appropriate dampproof chamber adjacent said track.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a wheel or bogie 23 is shown, and the numeral 2i designates part of the bed or under-frame of a locomotive, beneath which is suitably secured a storage cylinder or reservoir 25 containing compressed air. From this cylinder or reservoir 25 a pipe 26, which serves as a conduit, is led to a cylinder 27 (Figs. 4 and 5) and it is to be particularly noted `that the conducting pipe 26y is so arranged that there is a downward inclination toward the reservoir 25. At any suitable and appropriate position on the con-V ducting pipe I fit a valve 28, the stem 29n 'whereof is downwardly extended and passes through a supporting bracket 30 appropriately secured to the under-'frame 31 of the locomotive. 'Phe stem 29 as will be more clearly seen in Fig. 4, is fitted at its eX- treme lower end with a laterally extending arm 32, vand it is underthe action of a recoil spring 33, which normally tends to keep the arm 32 turned into a position at rightangles to the road-bed or track 10. In other words, this arm 32 is retained in the position stated, that is to say, with the valve 28 closed to shut olf the compressed air. Or,

in other words, the arm 32 is normally retained ina position whereby when the aforesaid arm 17 is swung into a vertical position, they will engage with one another, and the arm 32 will be swung in a horizontal plane through an angle of approximately 90 degrees, which will open the valve 28 and v permit of a flow of compressed air to the cylinder 27, which will move the pistoni. 34

'in opposition to a strong compression spring 35. This piston 34 is provided with'a piston rod 36 which extendsbeyond the end of the o'landk va depending arm 43 adapted for sliding longitudinally with a second rod 44, which rod 44, as will hereinafter be bett-er understood,

may appropriately be parallel with the throttle-controlling rod 45. Gbviously the fine holes 38a must be provided in the pistons 38, to permit the air compressed when said piston 38 is moved forward to pass to therear side thereof. Y i

In the drawings and on reference moreV particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the rod 40l is connected by a spring intluenced pin and slot connection 48 in the enlarged head 47 with an extension 46a on :a blade or bar 46, said bar 46 in turn being attached at. its other end by a headed part 452% to thethrottle rod 45. Formed integral with or attached to the aforesaid enlargedV head 47 is a blade 49, the opposite end whereof is notched out, as shown at50, and

`passes through a slottedv casing 5l, said casing in turnY housing a latch 52, under the action of a spring 53, said llatch being fitted with a roller 54 which rides over the notchedout part 50 ofthe blade 49. This latch 52j the slotted connectionY 48 has traversed the length of the slot. This movement Vofthe blade 49 due to the pin and slot connection 48 causes the roller 54 to ride up over the notched-out part 50, which raises the latch On the 52 andy disengagesthe throttle lever 55 from l connection with the throttle rod 45. This instantaneous disconnection of the throttle lever 55, in the event of imminent danger, automatically prevents the throttle leverV 55 from being thrown forwardly and striking the driver, a feature which Iv have found is common to many of the throttle-controlling f mechanisms heretofore constructed. Obviouslyfthe return "of the throttle lever 55 to operative connection with theblade or bar 46 fto re-apply steam will be manually effected by moving the said lever over to theV leftV hand in Fig. 4 which will bring the latch 52 again into latched:connection'there-V with.

vwith a tit or projection 60, which is normally held down insaid bracket 30, by a compression spring 6l, located about the lower end of the rod 59. VIn order to release the dog 58V from engagement with the ,tooth-ed cam 57, the rodV 59 is upwardly moved through any' appropriate connection such as a chain 62, a pin 59?'limiting said movement so that the tit 60 can only contact with the heel 58a of the dog 58. a v

Y From the foregoing it will be readily seen that when a pull is exerted o n the chain 62 by the engineer the tit 60 will cause dog 58 to swing on its pivot andthus free the cam 58 whereby stem 29 will beturned by the recoil of the spring 33` to close the valve 28 and the springs 42 and 56 will turn the parts 46, 38 and 34to their normal positions. If necessary an escape valve, not

In order to provide means for locking the shown, may be placed in the cylinder 27 to permit the escape oi' compressed air therefrom.

Referring to Figs. G and 7 which illustrate a preferred form ot' switch, the numeral 63 indicates a cylindrical casing in which is mounted a slidable plunger Gel', having operative connection by a rod 65a With the semaphore arm 13, and said plunger 64 is formed with a circumferential groove G5, with which is adapted to engage a pin 66. rllhis pin 6G is housed in a bearing 67 and it passes through a liber or insulating plate 68, on which is mounted the switch element 69, which is hingedly mounted to a bracket 7 O andprovided at its end ivith a contact 7l. il Wire 72 extends from the bracket 70 to battery 72b -and this battery is connected by Wire 73 With the solenoid 2l, the solenoid being connected bv a Wire 73D with contact 7st with which the contact 7l of the switch Will engage when the member Gil has been moved into the position shown in Fig. 6 by the raising of the semaphore arm. In this position ot the parts the circuit is closed to solenoid 2l so that the arm 17 Will be moved to a position to engage the valve operating means on the locomotive.

In order to provide a means for associating my train control with the ordinary airbraking mechanism, I provide the cylinder 36 with a branch connection 7 5 which communicates by a pipe 76 with a valve 7 7 which is made adjustable so that the amount ot air to apply the brakes may be regulated and controlled. Ihe valve 77 is iitted with a sealing cover 78 so that said valve is completely inclosed or housed and cannot be tampered with after it is once set and regulated. This valve 77 connects with a brake cylinder 79 in which is located a springiniluenced piston SO, the piston rod 8l vwhereof extends outwardly and is litted 'L PLL With a collar 82 to which is lit-ted a link 83 having pivotal connection .vith a controlling lever Sel, said lever being provided With a projection adapted for engagement with a toothed sector 85, and said controlling lever 8d operating to control the ordinary engineers brake control valve. It. will be readily seen that With this automatic and adjustably controlled mechanism, that the degree of braking pressure can be accurately regulated.

From the foregoing description it Will be readily seen that by my improvements there is provided an extremely effective train control, and one in which the valve-throwing lever is instantaneously disconnected from connection with the throttle, should danger be imminent. Furthermore, the braking or' the train is automatically effected, While the closing oit' the throttle valve to cut off the supply of steam to the cylinders is also automatically effected, so that if the signal is set at danger, the engineer cannot pass said signal by inadvertence, accident or mistak Obviously a duplication of the automatic control Will be found particularly advantageous .vhen it is requisite that trains run in either direction, or Where a great range of signaling is possible. In other Words, one apparatus or control may be employed When the train is traveling in one direction, and the other control when the train is traveling in the opposite direction.

lfhile I have briefly described one practical embodiment ot my invention, I Wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself in any Way to the precise details, as various changes and other combinations of the several parts may be effected Without in any vfay departing trom the spirit or scope ot my said invention, such changes or other combinations being only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a train control apparatus, a compressed air tank on the locomotive, a cylinder also on the locomotive, a pipe connecting the tank with the cylinder, a valve in said pipe, a stem connected with the valve, an arm on the valve adapted to engage an obstruction along the track to cause the valve to open, a spring for normally holding the valve in closed position, ratchet mechanism for holding the valve in open position against the action of the spring, manually operated means tor releasing the ratchet mechanism to permit the spring to close the valve, a piston in the cylinder and means connected therewith for closing the throttle and applying the brakes.

2. In a train control apparatus, a compressen air tank on the locomotive, a cylinder on the locomotive, a pipe connecting the tank and cylinder together, a valve in said pipe, means Jor opening the valve by an obstruction along the track, a piston in said cylinder, a second cylinder, a piston therein, a rod connecting the two pistons together, means for connecting the second piston with the throttle controlling mechanism, latching means for detachably comiecting the throttle lever with the throttle rod and means, including a blade, associated with the means for connecting the second piston with the throttle mechanism for causing the latching means to release the lever upon the initial movement of the piston.

T testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ROBERT L. YOUSE. 

